Comment by AnthonyMouse

> I think there's a broader problem here, where there's a tendency to define all cultures by their most extreme elements and have conversations that are centered around those. This sells, this gets clicks, and it also decimates our theory of mind of others.

Not only that, corrupt politicians have the incentive to do it to themselves.

You take someone like Pelosi, is she actually a radical? Nope. Is she corrupt? Oh dear, yes. And you could say the same of several prominent Republicans. But if the most prominent criticism of her is that she's corrupt, what defense of it is there? It's indefensible.

Whereas if she pays lip service to some fringe lunatic ideas, that becomes the criticism of her from her opponents, and then the opponents can be accused of racism etc. and nobody is talking about the corruption anymore.